Cruise Ports

There is a lot to think about when researching and booking a cruise holiday, but there are always 3 key points to keep in mind; ship, destination and cruise ports.

If you get each of these 3 aspects of cruising correct, the chances are you will have an incredible time that you will never forget, get 1 wrong and it could be unforgettable for completely different reasons!

Cruise Port Guides and Reviews

Here at CruiseHols, I have been fortunate enough to visit many different cruise ports around the world including cruise ports in North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

I bring you an in-depth guide as well as my rating for each port that I have visited that should help you make decide on which ports are the best for you to visit. Once you have decided, they should then allow you to really make the most of your time onshore.

Popular Cruise Ports

These are the cruise ports we have reviewed that are amongst the most popular with cruisers and cruise lines alike.

UK Cruise Ports

If you are setting sail from the UK and returning to the same port, more commonly known as a NoFly cruise, the ease of access to the port, price and availability of parking and of course the destinations offered are all the key aspects to take into consideration.

When it comes to setting sail from the United Kingdom, there is one cruise port that stands head and shoulders above the rest and that is the iconic Southampton cruise port.

Overseas Turnaround Ports

If you are doing a fly cruise, you can start and/or end your cruise in a great holiday destination allowing you to also add a land-based holiday onto your cruise and really get to take in the culture and vibe of your chosen destination.

Many of the world’s leading tourist destinations also offer turnaround cruise facilites and easy access via international airports.

Cruise Ports of Call

A cruise port of call is a cruise port where you simply call in for a day of exploring before heading off to your next destination.

Picking the right cruise port of call can really make or break your cruise holiday, so make sure you do your research first, starting with our cruise destinations reviews.

Cruise Port Guides

When it comes to a cruise port, there is no one size fits all as some are simply piers that stick out into the sea and allow you to walk from the ship and into your destination, some are large complexes that rival airports.

The very largest cruise ports can host multiple ships, have many large terminals and see millions of cruisers use their services every year whilst the smallest cannot even a host a cruise ship as you will have to use a tender to visit.

With all of that in mind, it is probably no surprise that there is so much confusion when it comes to the cruise ports that we can visit as you are never quite sure what you are going to get until you are there.

That is where the cruise port guides found on this very webpage come in so useful as they are based on the thoughts and experience of a real cruise who has visited the ports on a cruise ship and that cruiser is me!

Different Types of Cruise Ports

There is often some confusion when it comes to the terms used in relations to cruise ports, but it is relatively straightforward.

A port that has the capabilities to allow ships to start or end their cruises at the port is known as a turnaround port, as a ship can be ‘turnaround’ from one itinerary to the next.

If you start your journey there, it is a departure port, if you end your journey there it is an arrival port.

These are normally larger cruise ports with a terminal building capable of processing 1000’s of guests, there luggage and all the food and drink needed to load onto the ship.

If you visit a port on your holiday, it is known as a port of call and that is also the name given to ports with no ‘turnaround’ facilities.

Not All Cruise Ports Are Created Equally

As a personal preference, my favourite type of cruse port to visit on a cruise holiday is one with little to no facilites that are in the middle of the destination that you are visiting.

That allows you to simply stroll from your ship and then get off exploring, so think more like a small village port in the Norwegian fjords such as Geiringer or Flam over a giant port such as Palma de Mallorca or Valencia.

At those ports you are far from the cities, you have to get a shuttle to the port gate and even then, you are far from the tourist areas of the city and its attractions.